Charter Teacher: Why Charters Need Supervision and Oversight
This comment is a response to an earlier post about an unscrupulous charter operator who continues to get new charters, despite his history of failure. This teacher writes: “I’ve lived this nightmare. I was a teacher at Techworld Public Charter School in DC back in the early 2000s. We had an incredibly dedicated staff of mostly young teachers, an innovative plan to integrate technology into a rig
The Big Lie on Which “Reform”Is Built
Mark Naison, one of the founders of the Badass Teachers Association, here explains that the foundational idea of the privatization movement is a lie. Naison writes: “Public School Failure- “The Big Lie” on Which Current Education Policy Rests “As someone who has worked in the Bronx for the last 45 years, it drives me crazy to hear business leaders denounce public schools as the one failed institut
Mitch Daniels: Proof of the Need for Teacher Tenure
Can you imagine that the governor of your state would tell teachers which books they are allowed to assign or use in class? Can you imagine that the governor of your state would tell college professors which books they are allowed to assign or use in class? Can you imagine that the governor of your state would use his power to try to audit and close down a program at a university because its direc
House of Cards: The Broad Superintendents
This video, made by the Badass Teachers Association, is part of a series that will dissect the corporate reform effort to privatize American public education. This one describes the work of the Broad-trained superintendents. They are like educational kudzu; once one is installed, they soon surround themselves with other Broadies, as they are known. Some states, like New Jersey and Louisiana, swarm
Advice for the “Charitable-Industrial Complex”
Peter Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett, is not happy with the philanthropic giants that have decided to save the world. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Peter Buffett writes what he has learned about Philanthropic Colonialism: “People (including me) who had very little knowledge of a particular place would think that they could solve a local problem. Whether it involved farmin
Frank Breslin: Chris Cerf Is Destroying Public Education in New Jersey
Frank Breslin is a retired teacher. He taught English, German, Latin, and social studies for forty years. In this article, he writes that Chris Cerf ”is driving a stake through the heart of public education by his maniacal insistence on perpetual testing.” Breslin writes: “Welcome to New Jersey, Land of Standardized Testing and Education’s Brave New World. Without relentless testing of the basic s
Diane in the Evening 7-28-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Connecticut Policy Institute Responds to Critical CommentIn one of the comments on the blog, a reader posted critical comments about the Connecticut Policy Institute. The executive director of the institute, Ben Zimmer, asked me for the opportunity to respond. I agreed. I checked the webpage of the CPI, and note that it is in favor
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 7-27-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGTODAYWhat About Those Lazy Teachers?A reader wrote to complain that many teachers have an easy job, don’t work hard, and are paid too much for the little they do. This teacher responds: “I am one of those assistants in that classroom, a special education classroom. I would like to see you do it. I want you to change a tee